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Afghan national pleads not guilty in deadly National Guard shooting near White House
An Afghan national accused of carrying out a deadly shooting attack on members of the U.S. National Guard near the White House has pleaded not guilty to all charges in a federal court.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 30, appeared before a U.S. District Court on Tuesday following the unsealing of a 17-count federal superseding indictment. Prosecutors allege that Lakanwal killed West Virginia National Guard Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and seriously wounded Guardsman Andrew Wolfe in an ambush-style attack in Washington, D.C., in November 2025.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the charges include first-degree murder and several firearms-related offenses, making the case eligible for the death penalty. Prosecutors said they will begin the formal review process to determine whether capital punishment will be sought.
“Sarah Beckstrom was serving her country when she was allegedly killed in a targeted attack near the White House,” U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said in a statement, adding that authorities will pursue all legal avenues to seek justice for the victims.
Court documents allege that Lakanwal, a former contractor for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in Afghanistan, drove from Washington state to the U.S. capital while carrying a stolen firearm. Prosecutors say he opened fire on National Guard personnel, striking Beckstrom and Wolfe in the head before being subdued by other Guardsmen at the scene.
Investigators recovered a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver that had reportedly been stolen in Seattle in 2023.
Beckstrom later died from her injuries on Thanksgiving Day, while Wolfe survived and continues to recover.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Lakanwal appeared in court wearing an orange prison uniform and using a wheelchair, reportedly due to injuries sustained during the incident. The court scheduled the next status hearing for September 16.
The final decision on whether prosecutors will seek the death penalty rests with Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche.
The case has drawn significant attention in the United States due to the attack’s proximity to the White House and Lakanwal’s previous work with U.S. government entities in Afghanistan.
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CSTO says Afghanistan remains a key security priority
Vasilyev said a joint program to strengthen security along the border has already been launched, with CSTO member states currently assessing Tajikistan’s security requirements.
The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) says the situation in Afghanistan remains a major focus for its member states, with regional security developments in the country continuing to be closely monitored.
Speaking in an interview with Russian state news agency RIA, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the CSTO, Vladimir Vasilyev, said the organization’s primary concern is the security situation along the Tajikistan–Afghanistan border.
Vasilyev said a joint program to strengthen security along the border has already been launched, with CSTO member states currently assessing Tajikistan’s security requirements, including the equipment and resources needed to support the initiative.
He did not provide further details on the timeline for the program’s implementation or the scale of assistance to be provided, but stressed that Afghanistan remains a key topic in the organization’s ongoing regional security consultations.
The CSTO, a Russia-led regional security alliance, has repeatedly highlighted the importance of strengthening border security in Central Asia amid concerns over regional stability.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), however, has consistently maintained that it will not allow any individual or group to use Afghan territory to threaten or carry out activities against neighbouring countries.
The United States has warned that the threat posed by terrorist groups, including ISIL-Khorasan (ISIL-K), remains a major concern, with instability continuing to provide opportunities for militant organizations to expand.
Speaking at a UN Security Council briefing on threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts, Tammy Bruce, Deputy Representative of the United States to the United Nations, said on Wednesday countering ISIL, al-Qaida and their affiliates remains a key priority for Washington.
“These groups continue to exploit instability — as evidenced by al-Qaida’s gains in the Sahel, ISIL’s growing focus on Africa, and the persistent threat from ISIL-K in Afghanistan,” Bruce said.
The remarks come as Afghan authorities have repeatedly rejected claims that terrorist organizations are operating from Afghanistan and said they will not allow the country’s territory to be used against other nations.
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Kuwait fund signs $5 million in humanitarian grants for Afghanistan, Syria
Under the agreements, $2.5 million will be allocated to the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund and another $2.5 million to the Syria Humanitarian Fund.
The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) signed two grant agreements worth a combined $5 million with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Thursday to support humanitarian operations in Afghanistan and Syria.
Under the agreements, $2.5 million will be allocated to the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund and another $2.5 million to the Syria Humanitarian Fund.
KFAED said the grants will help finance urgent humanitarian programs and projects aimed at addressing critical needs and providing life-saving assistance to vulnerable and affected communities.
The funding will also enable the OCHA-managed humanitarian funds in Afghanistan and Syria to respond more rapidly and flexibly to emergencies, support humanitarian partners on the ground and improve coordination of relief operations.
According to KFAED, the latest agreements reflect Kuwait’s continued commitment to international humanitarian efforts and bring its total contributions to joint projects with OCHA to approximately $16.1 million.
The agreements were signed by KFAED Acting Director General Rashid Al-Bader and OCHA representative in Saudi Arabia Mohammad Zaid.
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